You can never do too much when thanking your item donors, supporters, and winners! Sending thank you letters and in-kind donation statements is a great way to show appreciation to item donors. It lets them know their contribution matters and can even help with tax documentation.
Sending thank you letters to item donors
Here are some tips to ensure your gratitude is felt by everyone who engaged in your auction:
- Add a thank you message to your Home Page Main Column
- Add a thank you post to your social media channels. (This will encourage social engagement beyond the auction!)
- Send a thank you letter that includes a receipt
- You can include a copy of the invoice for your item winners. To print a copy of all Winners' invoices, click Reports and download the Invoices (Full) PDF.
- Include a general thank you to all your bidders. Even if they didn't win, they helped raise more money for your auction items! Your Bidders report will have all the details on all of your bidders.
Providing in-kind donor statements
According to IRS Publication 1771, donation statements must include:
- The donor’s name.
- The amount of money or a description of the item(s) donated.
- A statement indicating whether or not any goods or services were provided in return for the gift; receipts from religious organizations must include a statement indicating that “intangible religious benefits” were provided, but they have no monetary value for tax purposes.
- A good-faith estimate of the value of goods or services provided; insubstantial values need not be recorded.